Baltimore, MD â€“ The Maryland legislature has overwhelmingly approved a bill to restore voting rights to nearly 40,000 people with past criminal convictions. The measure â€” which would simplify Marylandâ€™s law so that a person becomes eligible to vote upon release from prison â€” has already passed the stateâ€™s House and Senate and now awaits Gov. Larry Hoganâ€™s signature.

From Cornell William Brooks, NAACP President & CEO:

â€œThe NAACP applauds the Maryland legislature for approving a bill to restore the right to vote to nearly 40,000 people who have paid their debt to society. Throughout the country 5.8 million American citizens are prevented from participating in the voting process; including 4.3 million who continue to be silenced after completing their sentence and returning to their community. Nationally, 1 out of every 13 voting-eligible African-Americans has been stripped of their voting rights. This bill will help thousands of people who currently live, work, and raise families in Maryland every year. We firmly believe in second chances and that citizens who have completed their sentences be allowed to exercise the constitutional right to vote.â€

From Gerald Stansbury, NAACP Maryland State Conference President:

â€œThe SB340 bill will strengthen our communities throughout Maryland. The majority of citizens regaining their voting rights under this legislation are African American so this legislation strengthens participatory democracy in our state. We know also that returning citizens who vote are less likely to be arrested again and more likely to be productive, engaged and law-abiding. This measure is a win for civil rights and public safety. We applaud the General Assembly for its passage of the bill and urge the governor to sign it.”

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Welcome to CopyLine Magazine! The first issue of CopyLine Magazine was published in November, 1990, by Editor & Publisher Juanita Bratcher. CopyLine’s main focus is on the political arena – to inform our readers and analyze many of the pressing issues of the day - controversial or otherwise. Our objectives are clear – to keep you abreast of political happenings and maneuvering in the political arena, by reporting and providing provocative commentaries on various issues. For more about CopyLine Magazine, CopyLine Blog, and CopyLine Television/Video, please visit juanitabratcher.com, copylinemagazine.com, and oneononetelevision.com. Bratcher has been a News/Reporter, Author, Publisher, and Journalist for 33 years. She is the author of six books, including “Harold: The Making of a Big City Mayor” (Harold Washington), Chicago’s first African-American mayor; and “Beyond the Boardroom: Empowering a New Generation of Leaders,” about John Herman Stroger, Jr., the first African-American elected President of the Cook County Board. Bratcher is also a Poet/Songwriter, with 17 records – produced by HillTop Records of Hollywood, California. Juanita Bratcher Publisher